Activities and Communications by the OECC at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28)

Jun Watanabe, Senior Researcher

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

A total of nine members of OECC participated in the conference, acting as part of the Japanese government delegation and disseminating information as an observer organization. During COP28, the OECC, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and JICA, hosted side events on various themes, including the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), the Partnership to Strengthen Transparency for co-Innovation (PaSTI), reduction of fluorocarbons and energy conservation in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, and the development of Vietnam’s GHG emissions reporting system.

*This article is based on the OECC Newsletter Special Edition, February 2024.

Activities for promoting the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)

The JCM, which was launched by the Japanese government in 2013, continues to develop in its number of projects, partner countries, and target areas. On December 3rd, the OECC, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, held a side event entitled “Progresses and Challenges for the Implementation of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)” at the Japan Pavilion.

Speakers at the JCM side event

Speakers at the JCM side event
Speakers from OECC: Takemoto (President, far left),
and Kato (Director, far right)

The event was attended by the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the OECC from the Japanese side, by government officials from Thailand and Chile (JCM partner countries), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as a collaborating organization in the implementation of the JCM. Information was shared from each perspective on the progress of JCM implementation and its relationship with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and efforts and issues that are necessary for further development were discussed. Symbolizing the expansion of the target fields of the JCM, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries took to the stage for the first time at a JCM event at COP, and the status of efforts and expectations for JCM implementation in the agricultural sector were also discussed.

The OECC also set up an exhibition booth on December 8th and 9th to share information about OECC’s activities, mainly the JCM, and exchanged opinions with the visitors. Participants from more than 10 countries visited the exhibition booth, expressing interest and asking for consultations not only about the JCM but also about OECC’s environmental cooperation.

Participants from the Maldives sharing information on mangrove conservation efforts and the JCM

Participants from the Maldives sharing information on
mangrove conservation efforts and the JCM.

PR activities through COP28

Every year, the OECC posts information about COP side events through the COP webpage and X (formerly Twitter) and publish status reports from the venue. Also, we actively engage in public relations activities to widely disseminate the results of OECC activities, utilizing the COP28 Japan Pavilion website (the Ministry of the Environment), Carbon Market Express (the Ministry of the Environment), and the IISD website, a specialized media.